Nadia Ghaffar of South Sudan

The sun rose over the City of Djouba, South Sudan. As was his custom, Bilal Akol rose with it. Six feet three inches tall, lean and muscular, with skin of a rich mahogany hue, the young South Sudanese Muslim man rolled out his prayer rug, and began his prayer. He thanked the Most High for allowing him to wake up, and after finishing his prayer, he got ready to face the day.

All his life, Bilal had done the same thing. His father Mohammed Akol raised him to be a good Muslim, taking him to Jummah prayer at the local mosque every Friday. Although Islam had a controversial history among the South Sudanese people, many of whom saw it as the religion of their Arab oppressors, Bilal was most definitely a proud Muslim.

"We fought to free ourselves from the Sudanese Arabs, and now all we do is fight each other," said Bilal's good friend Bior, as the two of them began the long trek to the nearby well with big, heavy gourds slung over their shoulders. Life in the desert was far from easy. Still, it was better than the alternative, to live under the yoke of the Sudanese Arabs, who saw the South Sudanese as little more than cattle.

"Please, brother, not the political stuff, not this early in the morning," Bilal replied, and Bior rolled his eyes. The two best friends had known each other since their halcyon days at Rumbek, where they grew up. They were young enough to be part of the future of South Sudan, and old enough to remember how the Sudanese Arabs treated their parents, and their grandparents. Colorism and racism at their worst, Bilal thought bitterly.

Even now, the fact that Bilal was a Muslim and Bior followed the traditional African beliefs, a form of polytheism mixed with animism, kind of made people do a double take whenever they saw them together. South Sudan was not just the youngest nation in the world, it was also a religiously diverse nation. Christianity, Islam, and traditional African beliefs, all three were part of the makeup of the nation.

In the Republic of South Sudan, different ethnic and religious groups were once more at each others throats, now that they did not have to worry about oppression from the Sudanese Arabs. Bilal and Bior were too smart to fall for such bullshit, and that was one of the many reasons their friendship endured. As far as Bilal was concerned, South Sudanese from all walks of life should unite to keep their nation viable.

The City of Djouba lay in a mountainous, arid region of South Sudan, and there were many problems with the metropolis. Potable water was an issue, as was electricity, and there was quite a bit of lawlessness in this harsh environment. The local police force could barely handle patrolling the city streets, as they were underfunded, and undermanned. Once upon a time, Bilal hoped to become a police officer, like his grandfather, former national police captain Amir Akol. Sadly, it did not seem like it was meant to be.

Fate has never been kind to me, Bilal thought to himself as he and Bior walked a few kilometers outside the City of Djouba, where there was a dearth of water. An ancient well located further down in the valley had to be full of water, considering the rains from a few days ago. Bilal felt he ought to be in university, or at the police academy, not foraging for water in the wilderness outside Djouba like his ancestors probably did in the olden days. He was still lamenting when he saw something which caught his attention...

"Hey, Bior, my brother, look this way, do you see that over there?" Bilal asked, pointing to a lone figure in the distance, and the two men resolutely walked in that direction. Bior and Bilal raced toward the stumbling figure, and just as they got near, the figure fell. As they neared, they saw that it was a woman, one with fair skin and a disheveled appearance. Oh, and there was also the matter of her bloody face.

"Hmm, she looks Arab, probably from Egypt, although I do not think she could have crossed the desert on foot from the border, " Bior stated, as Bilal picked up the comely young woman in his arms. Bilal dropped his gourds prior to picking up the fallen woman, and Bior groaned as he grabbed them. The two young men hurried back to Djouba, and got their hapless find some water. Bilal gently splashed water over the young woman face, and she finally opened her eyes.

"Where am I?" said the young woman, and she looked at Bilal, a frantic look in her brown eyes. Bilal looked at the Arab-looking young woman and paused, for he recognized the distinct Egyptian accent. She was not one of those Sudanese Arabs, the traditional enemies of the South Sudanese people. Those devils who hated his kind simply because they were darker-skinned.

"My name is Bilal, and you are in Djouba, South Sudan," the young man said, and he helped the young Arab woman get to her feet. Bior and Bilal half-carried her to the nearest building, which happened to house the gendarmerie. As far as Bilal was concerned, the gendarmerie were useless, but the uniformed men took one look at who he had in his arms, and offered to help. Thankfully, a few of them had first-aid training, which helped...

"Shukran, thank you for saving my life, I am Nadia Ghaffar," the young woman said, speaking to Captain Garang from the Djouba military casern. Bilal and Bior stood nearby, along with a couple of young South Sudanese men in military garb. The Arab gal looked at Bilal as she spoke, and flashed him a meek smile. Bilal nodded, and kind of blushed. He was thankful for the young lady gratitude, but hanging out at the military station was not his idea of fun. He wanted to get the hell out of there, and Bior seemed to feel the same way...

"Salaam, sister, you are welcome, I wish you the best, my friend Bior and I will just let ourselves out," Bilal replied, and he walked away, as Captain Garang looked at him, a dubious look on her face. The two young men headed out of the military station. Bior flashed Bilal a wry grin and the young man cocked an eyebrow, wondering what his erstwhile best friend was getting at.

"Bilal, you dog, I saw the way that Arab lady, Nadia, looked at you," Bior said, laughing and Bilal rolled his eyes. The two of them went back to the well with their heavy gourds, and brought it back to their compound. There were easier things in life than walking several kilometers to get water from a well, but the two of them were broke as heck.

"Bior, you seem to like every woman you see, Hmm, perhaps you should join my Islamic religion, we allow up to four wives, you know," Bilal said, as he grabbed his buddy by the shoulder. Bior shook his head vehemently, and Bilal rolled his eyes. Bilal knew that Bior would never leave his traditional African religion, not even for all the women in the world. Makes it fun to tease him, Bilal thought with a wicked grin.

After cooking the meal that served as their breakfast and lunch combo, Bilal and Bior went about their day. Bilal went to Al Dawah, the local Islamic school, and taught from the holy book to young men from his faith. This he did for four hours, and it was the highlight of his day.

Afterwards, Bilal went to the marketplace, volunteering his services as a cart lad, earning banknotes totalling twenty five South Sudanese pounds for his efforts from an old lady named Mariam. He thanked her profusely, and then left her house after helping her unload her purchases. Bilal would have called Bior but he did not have any minutes left on his cell phone. Ah, the perks of being a broke brother in South Sudan...

Bilal made his way home, and waited for Bior to return. The two-bedroom flat that they rented on Mal Meninga Street, in a rather seedy side of metropolitan Djouba. Bior came home, with ten pounds from his work as a day laborer with the local waste management company. The two best friends spent the rest of the evening talking while sipping tea, then Bilal read his favorite holy book, then retired to his room and went to bed.

As Bilal lay on his bed, he thought about all the twists and turns his life had taken. His parents, Mohammed and Fatima Akol were in the City of Akobo, on the other side of South Sudan. They were dirt-poor, and of an advanced age. Every couple of weeks, Bilal sent them some money via western union. Bilal wanted to save some money to study at the University of Juba. Once there, Bilal would study Criminal Justice and maybe get into the national police force...

The next day, Friday, Bilal went to the local mosque, where his favorite Imam, Sheikh Omar Jambo, was scheduled to preach. The old preacher was once close friends with Mohammed Akol, father of Bilal. Bilal went to wash his hands and feet, at the cleansing basin, as was customary for all brothers and sisters prior to entering the prayer area. Before he could enter, however, he got a surprise...

"Salaam, brother, they told me I might find you here," came a feminine voice, startling the hell out of Bilal as he stood in front of the cleansing area. Bilal turned around, and found himself facing...her. It was the young Arab woman from the day before, Nadia something or other. Considering she looked half-dead the last time he saw her, Nadia looked pretty good. There were still a few bruises on her lovely face, that was about it...

"As Salaam Alaikum, sister," Bilal replied, a bit surprised to find Nadia standing before him. The young woman smiled at him in a beatific, kind of strange manner. This lady is beautiful but seems to be a bit troubled, I wonder where her family is, Bilal thought, nodding gently at Nadia. There was something altogether unsettling about her tracking him down to his favorite mosque...

"I wanted to come by and thank you, I am Nadia, what is your name?" Nadia asked, and Bilal inclined his head, then introduced himself. In the Islamic world, regardless of race or culture, the teachings of the Prophet, Heaven rest his soul, urged Muslim men to respect Muslim women, and to show kindness to their fellow Muslims and help them in times of distress.

"Sister, I am Bilal, there is really no need to thank me, all praise is due to the Most High, and I just did what anyone would have done," Bilal replied, and Nadia smiled at him. The two of them stood there, looking at each other for a long moment. For some reason, Bilal felt his heart skip a beat, and he repressed a not-unpleasant shudder. There is something about this woman, Bilal thought, feeling honestly puzzled.

"If you had not found me, I would be dead, my brother and I fled Egypt together, and he died along the way," Nadia said softly, and there was a haunted look on her lovely brown eyes. Bilal was quick to offer his condolences, and the young woman nodded, and then began to tell him her tale. Bilal really wanted to get into the mosque, but they had about half an hour before the noon prayer, so he could take a moment and listen to her. Nadia seemed like she needed it...

"Nadia, wow, you have been through so much," Bilal said thoughtfully, looking at Nadia after she shared her tale with him. Nadia and her brother Youssef were orphaned, and after their parents died, a local loan shark named Ali Chafik came after them to settle their family debt to him. A most scandalous offer from a decidedly ruthless man, to be sure...

When Chafik suggested that Nadia marry him to settle the family debt, Youssef refused, and the siblings fled across the desert, leaving Egypt and somehow ending up in South Sudan. Youssef died of thirst, and after burying him, Nadia stumbled on, until she was found, half-dead, by Bilal and Bior. After listening to Nadia tale of woe, Bilal marveled at her. Definitely more to this lady than meets the eye, Bilal thought cautiously.

"Thank you, Bilal, looks like I will be staying in Djouba for a while, I got discharged by the Juba Military Hospital this morning, I am looking for a place to stay, and I can pay my way," Nadia said, and she smiled at him and flashed him a wad of Egyptian pounds. Bilal nodded thoughtfully. He was about to suggest one of the few hostels in Djouba, but thought better of it...

"I cannot believe you brought this woman into our place without consulting me," Bior said, after Bilal brought Nadia home. The young man changed his tune after Bilal informed him of what Nadia had gone through in the desert. After a brief moment, Bior relented, and then proceeded to add an additional plate at their supper table.

"Thank you for making me feel at home," Nadia said, as she dined with Bilal and Bior later that night. Their accommodations were modest, to say the least, but the two South Sudanese brothers were most generous and gentlemanly. Bilal gave Nadia his room, and Bior "volunteered" to let him stay in his own room. Of course, Bior took the bed and Bilal took the floor, just like old times.

"Bior, this young woman has been through a lot, we should help her, it is the humane thing to do," Bilal said, and Bior whined about the changes that Nadia was sure to bring to their household, and he was halfway through his rants when Bilal fell asleep. The young man slept peacefully, after saying a silent prayer for better days ahead.

Nadia Ghaffar lay on a bed that was not her own, and thought about all the twists and turns that her life had taken. She had not been completely truthful when she told Bilal that she left Egypt to flee the loan shark. The brutish Chafik threatened to murder her brother Youssef unless Nadia agreed to become his plaything, and she set out to take him down.

After pretending to agree to his terms, Nadia went to bed with Chafik and killed him in his sleep. This led to Nadia and Youssef fleeing from Egypt. The Chafik clan was after them, along with the Egyptian police. In Egypt, women who killed abusive men upset the social order and often had no recourse. The patriarchal Egyptian justice system was against them. Nadia lamented the death of her brother Youssef, but she did avenge him. They will not think to look for me in Juba of all places, Nadia thought.

Over the next few weeks, Nadia adjusted to life in South Sudan. The locals were often surprised to see a young Arab woman walking around the streets of Juba, and thought that she was a Sudanese Arab. Nadia proudly told them that she was Egyptian, and not one of their ideological and regional enemies. Although they had some conflicts in the past, the Egyptians and the South Sudanese maintained decent diplomatic relations.

Nadia had to find herself a job, and she became a translator at the Juba Metropolitan Library, where her knowledge of Arabic and French proved useful. Bilal was her friend and guide as she explored the City of Djouba, and she marveled at the place. It was a far cry from the City of Cairo, where Nadia grew up, but Djouba had its charms. The locals were friendly, for the most part. This place could become my home, Nadia thought wistfully.

Life had certainly taken a few twists and turns, but Nadia was nothing if not adaptable. Her father, Ismail Ghaffar, was once a Sergeant in the Egyptian Armed Forces, taught her how to fight. Nadia walked the streets of Djouba fearlessly, and it was not just because of the dagger she carried. It was a gift from her late brother Youssef. After being hunted for so long, Nadia found it hard to let her guard down. Still, if there was one person Nadia could theoretically let her guard down with, it was Bilal...

In our ignorance and arrogance, we Arabs treat the Africans like shit, and yet they are generous, friendly and hospitable, by the Most High, they are better Muslims than we are, Nadia thought to herself as she observed Bilal praying one evening. She'd come home early from her work at the library and had the place to herself since Bior was away visiting family. Upon hearing some noise, Nadia was startled, then saw it was only Bilal at prayer.

The young man prayed in the tiny garden behind the townhouse, invoking the Most High both in Arabic and Dinka, the most predominant language in all of South Sudan. After Bilal finished his prayer, he rolled up his carpet, and then came back into the house. He went to the kitchen, and made himself some tea. As he waited for the water to boil, he turned around, sensing a presence behind him. Bilal found himself facing Nadia. The young woman stood there, clad in a short-sleeved shirt and a long, traditional skirt. Her long dark hair flowed freely on her shoulders. There was a coy smile on her lovely face.

"Salaam, habibi, welcome home, I've made you some Okra stew with white rice," Nadia said, and Bilal blinked as she pointed to the food on the table, which he hadn't even noticed. Nadia winked at him and then pulled the cover from the food, and Bilal feasted his eyes on the delicious-looking plate. I must be more tired than I thought if I didn't notice this, Bilal thought, smiling.

"Masha'Allah, thank you, Nadia," Bilal replied, and he impulsively took her hand in both of his, and nodded. Nadia grinned, and looked into his eyes. Bilal paused, and licked his lips. Nadia drew closer, totally getting into his personal space. Nadia paused, with her face inches from Bilal's, and the young man swallowed hard, mesmerized by the beauty before him.

"Well, handsome, I can think of a few ways you can thank me," Nadia said, looking Bilal up and down. Make a move, dammit, she thought impatiently. Bilal grinned, and then closed the gap between them, kissing her. Just like that, they began making love. All barriers between them were dismissed, ignored, cast aside. Gone were the boundaries of race, religion and culture, only a man and a woman remained.

"Ente Jamile Masha'Allah, you are so beautiful," Bilal whispered into Nadia's ear as he showered her with kisses. Nadia smiled, welcoming his embrace. They didn't make it to the bedroom and ended up getting it on the floor, which suited them just fine. Having disrobed in a haste, Nadia lay on the cool floor, not caring that it was dirty. Voluptuous, sexy, and gloriously naked, the dark-haired, brown-eyed Egyptian beauty looked at her lover expectantly.

"Take me," Nadia demanded, and Bilal looked up at her, a wicked smile on his dark, handsome face as he kissed her feet, tickling her toes with his tongue. He traveled upward, gently spreading Nadia's thighs, and brought his face to her crotch. Nadia held her breath as Bilal boldly kissed her sex, and then went to work on her. Bilal fastened those full lips of his against her vagina, and flicked his tongue over her clitoris. Nadia moaned softly. Things were just getting good, she thought excitedly.

"Relax, Habibiti, you're in good hands," Bilal assured Nadia, pausing for a moment before he resumed eating her pussy. As the South Sudanese Muslim stud lathered her pussy with his tongue, Nadia closed her eyes and rubbed her hard, puffy nipples, loving what he was doing to her. She hadn't made love in ages, and Bilal was just what she needed...

As the evening rolled on, Nadia and Bilal explored new pathways to pleasure. Bilal was amazed by the raw passion of this sweet-looking young woman, and yet she was making love to him like a freak. Nadia grabbed Bilal and stroked his cock, and then took him into her mouth. Bilal endured the sweetest of tortures as Nadia sucked him off, getting him good and hard in no time.

"Don't love me tender, fuck me hard," Nadia hissed at Bilal, as she got on all fours, and he feasted his eyes on her big beautiful butt. As a South Sudanese man, Bilal saw big-bottomed women all the time, but Nadia was in a class by herself. He kissed her big butt and playfully slapped it, then thrust into her. A happy sigh escaped Nadia's lips as Bilal began fucking her in earnest. For Nadia, the fun was just beginning...

Bilal went to town on Nadia, smacking her big butt as he rammed his dick into her. Religious brothers are the biggest freaks in the bedroom, Nadia thought, smiling wickedly as Bilal fucked her roughly. She kept grinding her big ass against him, welcoming that deliciously hot pain and wicked pleasure as she felt his long, hard dick ram deep into her pussy. Now that's what I call a good fuck, Nadia thought, howling in pleasure.